Oakland Tribune, February 9, 1978

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Unleashing the energy


Larry Kelp

BERKELEY — "I've been waiting, waiting so long," Elvis Costello hung on each word as the three-piece band vamped behind him, just like 10 years ago when Jim Morrison would drawl, ''the clock on the wall says it's time to go, now..." But Elvis was waiting for what? The energy seemed held back. He motioned to the band to take it even lower, then like the rush of a jet engine:

"Waiting for the end of the world" was the answer. But no way could he be serious, for if anything Elvis' music is the cardiac massage the rock world has been gasping for for too long.

When the English songwriter made his American debut here three months ago people came out of curiosity. He had a catchy name, his debut album My Aim Is True had just been picked up for stateside release by Columbia Records and it promised more good music. Elvis more than lived up to anyone's expectations.

This time there were 2,000 Elvis fans to pack out Zellerbach Auditorium, and by the end of the second encore of the hour-long set the aisles were packed, kids were standing on the seats, and those not dancing were clapping along.

Dressed in conservative black suit and tie, wearing his black-frame glasses and looking like an angry Buddy Holly, Elvis contains his rage where other new wavers like the Sex Pistols let it all out all the time. He waits for the right moment to unleash the rock energy, and you can see the audience respond in anticipation of that moment. The tension in the theater becomes almost unbearable until the release, then everyone is on his feet dancing and clapping along.

Last time around Elvis was tentative about his performing, but now he knew the audience was his, and he even unstrapped his guitar during "Watching the Detectives" to take the microphone and hang on the mic stand while staring the audience down. The music was spare and simple, yet within that context the arrangements were often complex, with shifting rhythms, lead parts switching from Steve Niave's combo organ to Bruce Thomas' bass and back to Elvis' guitar. Drummer Pete Thomas had a small kit, but got a wide variety of sounds from it. Yet the music never sounded flat or plain.

The answer must lie in Elvis' songwriting and delivery, seemingly spontaneous but always well-planned for dramatic effect. The support from the Attractions was as important to Elvis as the Rumour is to Graham Parker.

Smiles? Not from Elvis. Not even after the second encore, when he yelled a sincere thank-you to his fans. Costello has a score to settle with the world and all the people he thinks have wronged it and him. In the meantime he gets the rage out in his songs, which — like the instrumental parts — contain simple, to-the-point lyrics that are as brilliant in concept as in execution.

The Zellerbach show featured 15 songs, more than half of them new. No one minded. Like Springsteen, Graham Parker and Tom Petty, Costello and crew have an uncanny ability to swing, and it didn't matter whether he was singing a familiar song like "I'm Not Angry" or a new "Pump It Up" or "Not Just Another Mouth."

If there is a future of rock, it will grow out of Costello and others like him, who can translate human emotion into musical terms and still come out with real songs, not just noise. It's a quality that can never be captured on record. That's why the concert is so important. Afterwards you can listen to the album and remember what it really is all about.

Costello plain and simple puts on one of the best shows in rock.


Hayward quartet Mile Hi opened the program with 45 minutes of song-oriented hard rock. However, the band's songwriting is also its weak point at this time. Still, numbers like "Gonna Have a Good Time" and a reworking of Sammy Hagar's "Rock 'N' Roll Weekend" were catchy, powered by guitarists Mark Ross and John Nymann, bassist Tom Duke and drummer David Notary.

Other high schoolers pursued athletics or cars the way Mile Hi has pursued rock. Instead of working on a chopped and channeled '57 Chevy, these guys souped up their Gibson Les Pauls, beefed up their Marshall amps and spent their spare time in the garage oiling and polishing their act. The result is a clean machine that, with better material and some direction, could be even faster off the line.

At this point Mile Hi is a band with potential, and no leaks.


Tags: Zellerbach AuditoriumUniversity Of CaliforniaBerkeleyMy Aim Is TrueThe AttractionsSteve NiaveBruce ThomasPete ThomasWaiting For The End Of The WorldI'm Not AngryPump It UpNot Just Another MouthThe RumourGraham ParkerBruce SpringsteenTom PettyJim MorrisonColumbia RecordsBuddy HollyThe Sex PistolsMile HiSammy Hagar

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Oakland Tribune, February 9, 1978


Larry Kelp reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions and opening act Mile Hi, Tuesday, February 7, 1978, Zellerbach Auditorium, University Of California, Berkeley.

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1978-02-09 Oakland Tribune page 54 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.

Page scan.
1978-02-09 Oakland Tribune page 54.jpg


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